Tropical MBA: Entrepreneurship & Founder Lifestyle

Most founders are leaving money on the table without realizing it. Are you one of them?
This week, Dan and Ian break down how a tiny shift in how you handle leads can completely change your pipeline. Plus, a counterintuitive approach to networking and why big brands are paying founders to create content.
LINKS
Hang out with us at DCBKK this October (https://dynamitecircle.com/dcbkk)
Connect with 7+ figure founders and join us in NYC this December (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
This week’s sponsor: https://spp.co “Your billing, onboarding & projects in one client portal” (https://spp.co/)
“Amp It Up” by Frank Slootman (https://www.amazon.com/Amp-Unlocking-Hypergrowth-Expectations-Intensity/dp/1119836115)
Harvard Business Review: “The Short Life of Online Sales Leads” (https://hbr.org/2011/03/the-short-life-of-online-sales-leads)
MIT Lead Response Management Study (https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/25649/file-13535879-pdf/docs/mit_study.pdf)
“The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss (https://fourhourworkweek.com/)
Remote First Recruiting: Hire Your Next Remote Team Member in 21 Days or Less (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/)
My First Million Podcast (https://www.mfmpod.com/)
22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources)
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:01) Business Idea: “Lifestyle” Services for 7-Figure Businesses

(00:08:30) How to Improve Your Lead Pipeline 20-50% Overnight
(00:11:50) How Responding Faster to Leads Impacts Your Business
(00:16:46) Sponsor Shout-out: SPP.co
(00:17:47) Conference A or Conference B?
(00:19:38) Business Idea: Partner Podcast with Big Bucks Brand
CONNECT:
Dan@tropicalmba.com
Ian@tropicalmba.com
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella.
PLAYLIST:
The Outsourcing Shake-Up: LATAM vs. Philippines (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/outsourcing-shake-up)
Financial Traps, Profit Truths, and What’s Next at TMBA (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/financial-traps-profit-truths)
“Build It Like You’re Gonna Sell It” (Dan’s “Amp It Up” Review) (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/build-it-sell-it)

It’s another mixed bag of business topics on this week’s episode of the pod: X’s Head of Product shares the suspiciously simple playbook to getting rich on the platform, Google’s “Photoshop Killer” is officially on the loose, emerging thoughts on pivoting away from the Philippines for outsourcing remote talent, luxury lifestyle for a fraction of the cost in Thailand, and more.
Quick reminder that we’ll be in Bangkok next month with Dynamite Circle for a week of sheer business nerdery. Details in the links below!
LINKS
Hang out with us at DCBKK in Bangkok this October (https://dynamitecircle.com/dcbkk)
Connect with 7+ figure founders and join us in NYC this December (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
X’s Head of Product shares how to get rich on X in 6 months (https://x.com/nikitabier/status/1963498520805007470)
Google’s “Photoshop killer” Nano Banana (https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/)
Nick Huber’s thoughts on outsourcing to the Philippines in 2025 (https://x.com/sweatystartup/status/1963588036102348943)
Dan’s next read (https://www.amazon.com/100M-Money-Models-Make-Acquisition-com-ebook/dp/B0FMXTZ4MH)
This week’s sponsor: https://spp.co “Your billing, onboarding & projects in one client portal” (https://spp.co/)
22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources)
CHAPTERS
Audio:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:29) How to Get Rich on X in 6 Months
(00:04:51) How to Stay Consistent with Content
(00:10:14) Google’s “Photoshop Killer”: Nano Banana
(00:13:58) PH No Longer a Hotspot for Remote Recruiting?

(00:18:29) Sponsor Shout-out: SPP.co

(00:19:47) Luxury Location-Independent Lifestyle in Thailand

(00:27:22) Hits of the Week: Hormozi, Feldman, DCBKK
CONNECT:
Dan@tropicalmba.com
Ian@tropicalmba.com
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella.
PLAYLIST:
Why $120K From Your Biz Beats $150K at a Job (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/balancing-wealth-freedom-mindset)
The Content Flywheel Behind a 7-Figure Education Business ft. Timothy Moser (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/content-flywheel-behind-7-figure-business)
Health Advice That Goes Against Everything You Know ft. Jay Feldman (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/health-advice-against-everything-you-know)
The Freedom Line, 7+ Figure Founders, and Extended DCBKK Recap (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/dcbkk-recap-2023)

Why are so many chasing $10M exits when $3-4M plus a paid-off house might be the real freedom number? Should you be betting big on Bitcoin in 2025, and did we miss out on a massive opportunity 9 years ago? And if you’re “unemployable,” is that a badge of honor... or a red flag?
This week, Dan and Ian crack open the reality behind location-independent entrepreneurship: from sipping wine in Europe (and still gaining weight) to navigating whether your side hustle cash flow can really replace that W-2 paycheck.
LINKS
Join Dynamite Circle and hang out with us in Bangkok in October (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
Connect with 7+ figure founders and join us in NYC this December (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
The episode that could have made us $1.6 million (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/bitcoin)
@levels.io’s investment portfolio (outperforming the S&P 500) (https://levels.vc)
BowTied Bull’s article “Think Twice After You Make It” (https://bowtiedbull.io/p/think-twice-after-you-make-it)
This week’s sponsor: spp.co “Your billing, onboarding & projects in one client portal” (http://spp.co)
22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources)
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:44) What percentage of W-2 Income is Small Biz income worth?
(00:13:48) This Week’s Sponsor: SPP.co
(00:15:12)  Are Entrepreneurs Truly Unemployable?
(00:18:34)  “Financially Cozy” Level of Wealth
(00:26:18) Europe for the summer: overrated, underrated, or properly rated?
(00:27:26) Company news
CONNECT:
Dan@tropicalmba.com
Ian@tropicalmba.com
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella.
PLAYLIST:
The Changing Landscape of SEO and the Influence Equation (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/changing-landscape-seo)
What is the Michael Jordan of Business Models? (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/michael-jordan-business-model)
“When is my LTV good enough?” + Founder Mode for Bootstrappers (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/ltv-good-enough)

If you’ve been living under a rock, you might have missed Alex Hormozi’s record-breaking launch of his latest book $100M Money Models (yep, reps from Guinness World Records were there to verify.)
One of the most prominent internet business gurus of our time, Alex’s marketing and launch strategies paint a vivid picture of the power of “the influence equation.” Love him or hate him, his journey is inspiring for all entrepreneurs. Here are 5 takeaways from the launch, specifically for bootstrappers in the trenches.
LINKS
This week’s sponsor: spp.co “Your billing, onboarding & projects in one client portal” (http://spp.co/)
Alex Hormozi’s $100M book series (https://www.acquisition.com/books)
Dan’s book “Before the Exit” (https://www.amazon.com/Before-Exit-Thought-Experiments-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B07BN2KD1J)
“The Wealth Ladder: Proven Strategies for Every Step of Your Financial Life” by Nick Maggiulli (https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Ladder-Proven-Strategies-Financial/dp/0593854039)
Nick Maggiulli’s interview on the Afford Anything Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/nick-maggiulli-the-wealth-ladder-has-six-rungs-and/id1079598542?i=1000719716621)
22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources)
Meet the world’s most generous global entrepreneurs inside Dynamite Circle (https://dynamitecircle.com/)
Connect with 7+ figure founders like Allen inside DC BLACK (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:07) $87M in 8 Hours: Hormozi’s Record-Breaking Launch
(00:06:05) Takeaway #1: The Power of the Influence Equation
(00:11:53) Takeaway #2: Three Types of Media Strategy
(00:14:35) This Week’s Sponsor: SPP.co
(00:15:53) Takeaway #3: Choose Your Extreme
(00:18:40) Takeaway #4: Aggressively Do the Hardest Thing
(00:20:06) Takeaway #5: Risk - The Secret to Stratospheric Wealth
(00:25:08) Final Thoughts: The Corner Office Test
CONNECT:
Dan@tropicalmba.com
Ian@tropicalmba.com
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella.
PLAYLIST:
The Changing Landscape of SEO and the Influence Equation (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/changing-landscape-seo)
What is the Michael Jordan of Business Models? (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/michael-jordan-business-model)
“When is my LTV good enough?” + Founder Mode for Bootstrappers (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/ltv-good-enough)

In this week’s episode, Allen Walton (SpyGuy) shares how he’s using AI to build custom tools with almost zero coding experience, and how founders can turn everyday business spending into first-class flights.
From AI-powered inventory forecasting to unlocking elite travel perks, this episode is packed with practical tips for bootstrapped entrepreneurs ready to work smarter and travel better.
LINKS
This week’s sponsor: spp.co “Your billing, onboarding & projects in one client portal” (http://spp.co/)
Connect with Allen on X (https://x.com/allenthird)
Allen’s ecomm company (https://www.spyguy.com/)
“The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss (https://fourhourworkweek.com/)
“StoryBrand” by Donald Miller (https://storybrand.com/)
22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources)
Meet the world’s most generous global entrepreneurs inside Dynamite Circle (https://dynamitecircle.com/)
Connect with 7+ figure founders like Allen inside DC BLACK (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) Today’s Guest: Allen Walton
(00:07:35) How Allen is Using AI for Business & Personal Life
(00:09:45) LLM Deep Research for Competitor Analysis & ICP Creation
(00:12:58) Vibe Coding Apps with Zero Technical Experience
(00:22:32) This Week’s Sponsor: SPP.co
(00:23:50) How Airlines Actually Make Their Money
(00:26:34) The Competition of Points and Rewards in 2025
(00:30:40) The Worst Way to Redeem Points
(00:33:13) How to Maximize Points Accumulation
(00:35:48) Why Business Owners Should Pay More Attention to Points
(00:38:44) ‘Mozi Madness: Alex Hormozi’s Record-Breaking Launch
CONNECT:
Dan@tropicalmba.com
Ian@tropicalmba.com
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella.
PLAYLIST:
Top 5 SEO Tactics That Still Work in 2025 with Sean Markey (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/top-5-seo-tactics)
TMBA 256: Making Sense of Awards Points and Business Class Upgrades w/ Erik Paquet (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/mileage)
TMBA 540: Are You Generating Income or Wealth? w/ Nat Eliason (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/income-wealth-running-agency)